A bill to shut down a loophole in a Colorado program designed to encourage the recycling of used tires passed a second tier of legislative scrutiny this morning and is now on its way to a larger bill-making audience at the Capitol.

Proposed by Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan, the bill aims to ensure used tire processors actually recycle the tires they collect when they get money from a state fund consumers pay into with every new tire they purchase.

The state House appropriations committee passed the bill, HR-1034, on a 10-3 vote. Looper is a member of the committee. The bill moves on to the House committee of the whole.

Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Madison, voted against the bill largely because he would rather see the recycling subsidy program undergo an overhaul.

“I think it’s not something we ought to do because it continues to be something that’s unsuccessful,” Gardner told the committee. “I read an expose in The (Denver) Post that caused me a lot of heartburn. I get the problems, but I don’t know that we’ve done anything to solve them.”

David joined The Denver Post in 1999, his second go-round in the Mile High City. Since then he’s covered a variety of topics – from human services to consumer affairs – most always with an investigative bent. Currently he does investigations and banking.